As a driving device for semiconductor elements of this type, for example, a configuration disclosed in PTL 1 has been known.
The conventional example disclosed in PTL 1 is configured to incorporate a temperature detecting Zener diode in a semiconductor substrate identical to a semiconductor substrate in which an IGBT is fabricated, to connect the anode of the temperature detecting Zener diode to a constant current source, to connect the cathode thereof to GND, to compare voltage at a connection point between the constant current source and the temperature detecting Zener diode with a reference voltage, to control current supplied to the gate of the IGBT, based on a result of the comparison, and to change driving capability to drive the IGBT according to detected temperature.